More than 15,000 firefighters affected by rule change
The British Columbia government announced changes to the Workers Compensation Act that will add eight cancers to the list of diseases presumed to be work-related for firefighters, making the province home to the most comprehensive firefighter cancer protections in Canada, according to a press release.
The eight cancers being added are skin cancer, mesothelioma, soft-tissue sarcoma, and cancers of the larynx, trachea, bronchus, nasal cavity, and pharynx. They will join an existing list of 18 presumptive cancers established under the Firefighters’ Occupational Disease Regulation. The province also reduced the minimum employment period required to qualify for esophageal cancer coverage, dropping it from 20 years to 15 years.
The changes apply to more than 15,000 career, volunteer and federal firefighters, provincial wildland firefighters, fire investigators, and firefighters employed by First Nations and Indigenous organizations across B.C.
Under the presumption system, a firefighter who develops one of the listed cancers after a qualifying period of employment is automatically presumed to have acquired the disease through their work. They are then eligible for workers’ compensation benefits without having to prove the cancer is occupationally linked.
The announcement carries particular weight given the scale of the problem. While firefighters make up only 0.5% of the provincial workforce, they accounted for 35% of all accepted cancer claims at WorkSafeBC between 2010 and 2025.
Increasing cancer deaths
Cancer has become the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths among firefighters in Canada. Government data show that nearly 85% of firefighter deaths linked to workplace injury or illness between 2007 and 2021 were caused by occupational cancers.
Medical researchers and firefighter organizations have increasingly pointed to carcinogenic substances present in modern fires as a key factor. Burning synthetic building materials, plastics, electronics, and chemical products can release a complex mixture of toxic compounds, including benzene, formaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Firefighters may be exposed through inhalation or skin absorption during fire suppression and overhaul operations.
Premier David Eby pointed to the demands of the job as justification for the expanded protections.
“Whether battling house fires or wildfires, or responding to traumatic events, firefighters go above and beyond,” Eby said. “We’re making sure they have support when they need it most.”
Minister of labour Jennifer Whiteside echoed that view, saying the changes reflect ongoing collaboration with the firefighting community.
“They bear the toll of physical and emotional exposure to hazardous conditions in their work,” Whiteside said. “The changes announced today continue the years of work we have done together with firefighters, to ensure that the supports provided by the workers’ compensation system keep up with the changing realities of their work.”
Todd Schierling, president of the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, called the expanded list a meaningful step forward.
“This is the strongest set of protections in the country,” Schierling said, “and the BCPFFA will continue to advocate for the health, safety, and support of all members.”
Sebastian Kallos, Component 20 vice-president of the BC General Employees’ Union, highlighted the growing risk for wildland firefighters specifically.
“As fire seasons become longer and more intense, exposure becomes a greater risk for wildland firefighters,” Kallos said.
The changes will come into force once approved by cabinet.
